Sir David has decided to be the species champion for the AraripeManakinAntilophiabokermanni, estimated to number fewer than 800 individuals and confined to a 28 square kilometre patch of moist forest in Brazil. The forest is under pressure from leisure home creation, and agricultural expansion resulting in habitat loss and degradation. The director of Aquasis, Alberto Campos, responsible for the species' protection programme cites a lack of understanding from the million people that depend on the forest, of the ecosystem services that the forest provides, particularly the provision of freshwater. He also believes that sugarcane plantations for the production of biofuel could soon pose a considerable novel threat to the remaining forest.

Sir David will also be supporting a campaign to reach out to and support the local community, who ultimately, are the guardians of the remaining forest.

In fact if you look closely at the source article from Birdlife International's website, in the closing paragraph, Sir David refers to the importance of the work of the foremost important evolutionary biologists of our time...

What is Policy?

"A policy is a deliberate plan of action to guide decisions and achieve rational outcome(s)." (Wikipedia)

Policy making is: 'the process by which governments translate their political vision into programmes and actions to deliver 'outcomes' - desired changes in the real world. (Modernising Government White Paper, 1999). (Civil Service Policy Hub)

About

The Ecology & Policy Blog is run by the Science Policy Team at the British Ecological Society. The blog provides comment and information on developments at the interface between ecology and public policy. If there is a policy or scientific development that you think should be highlighted on the blog, please e-mail us.